Psalms 38:7

38:7 For I am overcome with shame ¹ 

and my whole body is sick. ² 

Psalms 88:17

88:17 They surround me like water all day long;

they join forces and encircle me. ³ 

Psalms 102:17

102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, ⁴ 

and does not reject ⁵  their request. ⁶ 

Psalms 118:22

118:22 The stone which the builders discarded ⁷ 

has become the cornerstone. ⁸ 

Psalms 119:154

119:154 Fight for me ⁹  and defend me! ¹⁰ 

Revive me with your word!

Psalms 139:5

139:5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;

you place your hand on me.

[38:7]  ¹ tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).

[38:7]  ² tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).

[88:17]  ³ tn Heb “they encircle me together.”

[102:17]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).

[102:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “despise.”

[102:17]  ⁷ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.

[118:22]  ⁷ tn Or “rejected.”

[118:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “the head of the corner.”

[119:154]  ⁹ tn Or “argue my case.”

[119:154]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and redeem me.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).